Two of Ireland’s first time Paralympians, Jordan Lee and Britney Arendse, have been given the honour of carrying the Irish flag as part of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games opening ceremony.
The ceremony will be shown live on RTÉ2 on August 24th with coverage starting at 11:50am. There will also be a highlights show at 7pm.
"This came as the most pleasant of shocks when I was approached to be a flag bearer," said Arendse of her selection.
"This is a great honour and I know that my parents and all my neighbours and friends will be delighted when they hear the news. Now I can’t wait to get to the stadium and, along with Jordan, lead out my teammates behind the tricolor."
Reacting to the news of his selection, Jordan Lee said: "This is honestly a dream come true. I did not expect this, but I am truly embracing it. I actually got a little bit emotional when I was asked, I know that this will be a moment that will love forever and I can’t wait to get out there."
4,521 athletes representing 168 National Paralympic Committees are due to compete at the Games across 22 sports between August 24th and September 5th.
Barry McClements is due to be the first of the Irish in competition at the Games when he takes part in the 400 metre freestyle in the pool at around the same time that Colin Judge is due to begin his group stage in table tennis.
Both flag bearers must wait until the fifth day of the competition on Sunday, August 29th when Jordan’s high jump and Britney’s power lifting competitions take place.
Paralympics Ireland Chef de Mission Neasa Russell said:
"We are very proud to introduce Jordan and Britney as our official Team Ireland flag bearers. These are two young rising stars in their sports and they are very deserving of this opportunity.
"I know that they will perform this role really well and they will do their families, their communities, their country and themselves very proud."
See Also: Daire Lynch Beats O'Donovan And McCarthy In Thrilling National Rowing Final
